Garment hanger supporting means



June 17, 1941. A. LEVINE 2,246,137

GARMENT HANGER SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Nov. 14. 1939 47 NTOR.

3 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 17, 1941 ."STA ENT LQFFI E7 Y GARMENT HANGER SUPPORTING MEANS braharn Levine, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Presto Lock Corporation, Garfield, N. J}, a' corporati on' 'of NewJersey v 7 Application November 14, 1939, SerialNo. 304,288

7 Claims. L 312-177) tubular member formed atits rearward or inner end with stop lug means I2, to depend from the I This invention relates to improvements in garment carrying fixtures for use in luggage cases, wardrobe trunks and other garment storage compartments or spaces; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to novel extensible supporting means for holding removable garment hanger devicesupon which garments are suspended for packing or'storage.

The invention has for an object to provide novel garment hanger-supporting means including a fixed section and a telescopically related, spring projected extensible section, together with novel manipulative releasable detent means for retaining the latter in collapsed or retracted relation to the former subject upon release, to limited projected extension endwise therefrom, whereby a plurality of garment-hangers, and the garments suspended therefrom, may be separated one from another to facilitate removal of a selected hanger and the garment carried thereby.

Other objects of this invention, not at tis time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of thesame. v

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a garment carryingfixture equipped with'the novel extensible garment hanger supporting means according to the invention; Fig. 2is a vertical cross section, taken on line 2--2- in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts, w 7 I In the illustrative form of the extensible garment hanger supporting means shown in the drawing, the same comprises a suitably shaped main section preferably formed by a sheet metal stamping which is folded upon itself to provide a hollow cylindrical fixed hanger bar support 5, having opposed casing sides 6 and 1 depending therefrom. Said casing sides spectively provided with inturned abutting marginal flanges 8 and 9, thus forming intermediate said casing sides, a relatively narrow internal housing chamber lfl, communicative with the hollow interior of saidfixed hanger bar support 5.

Telescopically slidable within the hollow interior of the fixed hanger bar support 5, for outward projection through the forward open end thereof, is an extensible hanger. bar support ll. Said extensible support I I. comprises a cylindrical 6 and I arere-.

under side thereof into the upper portion of the narrow housing chamber Ill. As thus disposed said stop lug means 12 rides between the side walls 6 and l of said housing chamber Ii] which serve as guides therefor during movements thereof consequent upon the longitudinalin andout movementsof said extensible support II. The exteriorly projecting forward end portion of saidextensible support H is provided with adiametrically enlarged term-inal' "head, suitably formed and connected therewith; "In-the illustrative form thereof shown in the drawing, said terminal headcomprises, aclosure: plug l3 which is entered in and aifixed to the outer endportion of the extensible support H Said plug H! is provided with a forwardly and axially-projecting stud I4 of reduced diameterfover which isengaged a terminal head: disc I5;-the-latter being fixed-in place by riveting over the free end portion ofsaidstud It, as shown at l6. -If desired, an ornamental finishing element or cover shell H is secured over and around said disc I5 by a marginal bead I8 with which the same is provided, and which is turned over and engaged around the periphery of said disc I5. 1 I

The rearward end of said fixed hanger bar support 5 is provided with a suitably formed diametrically enlarged terminal head; As illustrative form of this terminal head as shown comprises, a head disc l9 having acentral perforate hub portion 20 to seat in are'ar end opening provided in the rear. end wall 21 ofsaidfixed hanger bar support 5. Secured within said fixed hanger bar support 5 to. extend forwardlyfrom the rearward end thereof,- and alsoaxiallyWithiri the extensible support- I|,-is a spring carrier rod 22'. In order to affix said rod 22 in'place, "and at the same time secure said head discl 9 in assembled relation to the fixed hanger bar support 5, said rod is provided at its rearward endwith an axially projecting stud 23 of reduced diameter, and over this stud is engaged a; perforate keeper washer 24, one sided which abuts the shoulder provided at the juncture of said-rod 22 and its stud 23, and the other side of whichabuts the interior side of the rear end wallZl of said fixed hanger bar support 5. The-free end portion of said stud 23 is projected outwardly through the perforate hub portion 20 of said headv disc I9,.be--

ing riveted over against the-outer face thereof, as shown at 25, thus rigidly emitting boththe head disc [9 and the spring carrier rod 22 inoperative. assembled relation to. said fixed hanger bar support 5. A spiral compression spring 26 is provided and so arranged that its rearward end portion is supported by said rod 22 and footed against the rear end portion of the support 5, while its forward end portion extends through said extensible support ll into thrusting engagement with the closure plug 13 of the latter, so as to yieldably thrust said extensible support H to outwardly projected extension from the forward end of s aid'fixed hanger bar support 5.

Manipulative releasable means is provided for holding the extensible support ll retracted to normal collapsed relation to th fixed support 5. This means comprises a detent member 21, whicn is pivotally mounted on a fulcrum stud 28 affixed to and between the casing sides 6 and 1 within the housing chamber l0, so as to extend rearwardly through the interiorfloi. said chamber beneath the path of movement of said extensible support II as telescopically slidable within said fixed support 5. At its rearward free end, said detent member is provided with an upwardly pro jecting detent nosing 23 having a chamfer 33 at its inward side. Said detent member 21 is also shaped to provide, adjacent its forward pivoted end, an upwardly projected stop shoulder 3i. integrally formed in connection with said rearward free end portion of said detent member 2'! is a downwardly and forwardly inclined cam arm 32.

. The means for manipulating said detent member 21 comprises a push-plate 33 arranged within the housing chamber l below said detent member. Said push-plate is provided with a slot 34 to engage a stud 35 aifixed to and between the casing sides 6 and I, to thereby guide its movements. At its forward end, said push-plate is further provided with an exteriorly projecting push-piece 36 which extends outwardly through an opening 31 formed inthe forward edge wall portion of said housing chamber. On the exterior end of said push-piece 36 is fixed a pushbutton or finger-piece 38. At its rearward or inner end, said push-plate 33 is provided with a projecting push-finger 39 which is opposed to the cam arm 32 of said detent member 2? for cooperation therewith. Indenting said pushplate 33 is a downwardly extending notch 40 to provide a shoulder 4|. 7

Mounted on and around a stud 42 affixed to and between the leasing sides 6 and 7, for location between the detent member 21 and the push-plate 33 is a spring member 43, the upper horizontal arm 44 of which yieldingly bears against the underside of said detent member 21 to swing the latter to normal upraised position, whilethe lower vertical arm 45 of saidspring member enters said notch 40 of the push-plate 33 to yieldingly bear against the shoulder GI so as to thrust said push-plate to normal out-- wardly moved position.

When the extensible support I I is pushed back into the fixed support 5, which is the normal telescopically collapsed position thereof, its stop lugl2 rides over the chamfer 3B of the detent nosing-29, thus depressing the detent member 21, against the tensionvof spring arm 44, which thereafter swings upward to oppose said detent nosing 29 to the stop lug I2, thereby holding the extensible support H retracted within the fixed support against the tension of the compressed spring 26 (as shown by full lines in Fig. 3). 7

.When it is desired to release the extensible support II for outwardly extended projection from, the'fixed support .5, the'operator. presses the push-finger 39 relative to the cam arm 32 of the detent member 21 to cause the latter to be depresed against the tension of spring arm 36. Such manual depression of the detent memberZl downwardly withdraws the detent nosing 23 from obstructing relation to the stop lug II of the extensible support ll, thereby freeing the latter subject to the outwardly thrusting eifect of the spring 26, so that said extensible support Ill is projected outwardly from said fixed support to extended relation thereto (as shown by broken lines in Fig. 3)

The novel extensible garment hanger supporting means may be utilized as a single unit within a garment storage compartment or space, in which case the fixed support would be suitably mounted and secured in a stationary position within said storage compartment or space subject to removable application thereto of suitably shaped suspension hook means of garment hangers desired to be suspended therefrom. Whenused in Wardrobe trunks, luggage cases and the like, the extensible garment hanger supporting means are preferably arranged in pairs, the members of which are laterally spaced apart for engagement by the hooked end portions 46 of a garment supporting bar 41, whereby the latter is removably supported in bridging relation to and between said members (see Fig. l).

The novel extensible garment hanger supporting means is especially well adapted for use in connection with garment folding and carrying fixtures now extensively used in luggage cases, and which usually include side arms 48 pivotally attached by their inner ends to the luggage case so as to swing into and out of a compartment of the latter, such e. g. as the interior of the luggage case cover section. -When used in this connection thesupporting devices are employed in pairs, one thereof being afiixed to the outer freeend portion of each side arm 48 of the carrying fixture. ,To facilitate attachment to the fixture side arms 48, the housing chamber I0 is so. formed in its lower portion as to provide an open neck portion 49 through which the free end portion of a side arm48 may be passed to extend into the housing chamber interior so as to. lie between the casing sides 6 and 1,;being thereupon fixedly joined thereto by transverse fastening rivets 50. The extensible garment hanger supporting means as thus carried by the fixture side arms 48, are disposed in transversely spaced apart relation, and are joined together in such relation-by artransvers'e tie or crossbar 5| which is provided at its ends with angular coupling lugs, 52 adapted to respectively extend into the rearwardgportion of the respective houslug-chambers 10 580 as toalso lie between the casing sides Band 1, being fixedly joined thereto by transverse fastening rivets 53. 7

It will .be obvious that when the extensible supportsllil, are released and projected for outward extension. from the, forward ends of the fixed supports v5, so that a plurality of garment hanger-bars 41 applied thereto may be moved outwardly onto the extensible supports H and thus separated one from another to give convenient access to' a selectedbar and garment carried thereby foreither removal or deposit as the case may be; When, however, a plurality of bar'sf41, with garments suspended thereon,'are

deposited upon and in supported'relation to and between the supporting devicesrthe extensible supports it of the latter maysthereupon be pushed intoretained telescopically collapsed re' lation to the fixedsupports 5, ther'eby moving the bars and suspended garmentstogether ready for packing or storage in compactly related condition within the receiving spaceor compartment into which the carrying fixture may be folded. e

From the above description-it'will be understood that a very simple, neat and-effective extensible garment hanger supporting'means for the purposes described is provided, wherein the control parts are fully enclosed and pocketed against relative -disarrangement, while at the same time the enclosing means therefor assures that garments on the hangers 'susp'ended therefrom-are guarded against contact or'engagement with said control partsj'and consequently risk of catching, tearing'or like injury to'the garment material is eliminated.

' I am aware that various changes could be made in the construction of thenovel extensible garment hanger supporting means, and that many apparently widely different embodiments of the features of construction thereof could be made without departing from the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An extensible garment hanger supporting means comprising, a hollow casing having a cylindrical upper portion forming a fixed support, a spring projected extensible support telescopically slidable in said fixed support, said extensible support having a stop means on its inner end portion, a yieldable detent member pivotally mounted in said casing beneath said extensible support, said member having a nosing at its free end to engage said stop means for holding said extensible support retracted within said fixed support, a spring retracted push-plate means slidably mounted within said casing, said detent member having a cam arm engageable by said push-plate means for swinging said detent member so as to release its nosing from said stop means with consequent release of said extensible support for extended projection from said fixed support, and said push-plate means having a push-piece exteriorly projecting from said casing for manually actuating the same.

2. An extensible garment hanger supporting means comprising, a hollow casing having a cylindrical upper portion forming a fixed support, a spring projected extensible support telescopi cally slidable in said fixed support, said extensible support having a stop nosing on its inner end portion, a yieldable detent member pivotally mounted in said casing, said member having a nosing at its free end to engage said stop means for holding said extensible support retracted within said fixed support, said member also having a stop shoulder adjacent to its pivoted end to engage said stop means for limiting the extended projection of said extensible support, and m'anipulatab-le means mounted within said casing operative to move said detent member to release its nosing from said stop means with consequent release of said extensible support for extended projection from said fixed support, said manipulatable means having means exteriorly projecting from said casing for manuallyactuatingthesame. J r An'extensible garment hanger supporting means vcomprising, a hollow casing having a cylindrical upper portion forming a fixed support, a spring projected extensible support telescopically slidable in said fixed support, said extensible support having a stopnosing on its inner end portion; a. yieldable detent Jmember pivotally mountedain" said casing, said member having means. at its free end to engage said stop nosing for: holding .said extensible support retracted within said fixed support, said member also having a stop shoulder adjacent to its pivoted end to engage said stop nosing for-limiting the extendedr projectionof .said extensible support, a spring retracted push-plate slidably mounted within'said casing, said detent member having a? camarm, said push-plate having a push-finger to-en'gage said cam arm for the purposes described, and said push-plate having a push-piece exteriorly projecting from said casing for manually actuating the same.

4; The combination with laterally spaced side arms of a garment carrying fixture of extensible garment hanger bar supporting devices mounted thereon, .each supporting device comprising a casing formed to provide a hollow cylindrical upper portion to serve as a fixed support and'a relatively narrow housing chamber in communication with the interior of said fixed support to extend along and below the same, said housing chamber having a downwardly projecting open neck portion to receive a side arm of said fixture for fixed attachment thereto, a spring projected extensible support telescopically slidable in said fixed support and having a stop member at its inner end portion to project into said housing chamber, releasable detent means mounted within said housing chamber for cooperation with said extensible support stop member, and means exteriorly projecting from said housing chamber for manipulating said detent means.

5. The combination with laterally spaced side arms of a garment carrying fixture of extensible garment hanger bar supporting devices mounted thereon, each supporting device comprising a casing formed to provide a hollow cylindrical upper portion to serve as a fixed support and a relatively narrow housing chamber in communication with the interior of said fixed support to extend along and below the same, said housing chamber having a downwardly projecting open neck portion to receive a side arm of said fixture for fixed attachment thereto, a spring projected extensible support telescopically slidable in said fixed support and having a stop member at its inner end portion to project into said housing chamber, releasable detent means mounted within said housing chamber for cooperation with said extensible support stop member, and means exteriorly projecting from said housing chamber for manipulating said detent means, and a transvlerse tie-bar extending between said supporting devices, said tie-bar having at its ends angular coupling lugs respectively entered and afiixed within the housing chambers of said respective supporting devices. I

6. The combination with laterally spaced side arms of a garment carrying fixture of extensible garment hanger bar supporting devices mounted thereon, each supporting device comprising a casing formed to provide a hollow cylindrical upper portion to serve as a fixed support and a relatively narrow housing" chamber in communication with the interior of said fixed support to extend along and below the same, said housing chamber having a downwardly projecting open neck portion to receive a side arm of said fixture for fixed attachment thereto, a spring projected extensible support telescopically slidable in said fixed support and having a stop member at its inner end portion to project into said housing chamber, a yieldable detent member pivotally mounted in said housing chamber, saidm'ember having a nosing at its free end for cooperation with said extensible support stop member, said member also having a stop shoulder adjacent to its pivoted end to engage said stop member for limiting the extended projection of said extensible support, a spring retracted push-plate slidably mounted within said housing chamber; said detent member having a cam arm, said push-plate having a push-finger to engage said cam arm for the purposes described, and said push-plate having a push-piece exteriorly projected from said housing chamber for manually actuating the same.

7. The combination with laterally spaced side arms of a garment carrying fixture of extensible garment hanger bar supporting devices mounted thereon, each supporting device comprising a casing formed to provide a hollow cylindrical upper portion to serve as a fixed support and a relatively narrow housing chamber in communication with the interior of said fixed support to extend along and below the same, said housing chamberhaving a downwardly projecting open neck portion to receive a side arm of said fixture for fixed attachment thereto, a spring projected extensible support telescopically slidable in said fixed support and having a stop' member at its inner end portion to project into said housing chamber, a yieldable detent member pivotally mounted in said housing chamber, said member having a nosing at itsvfree end for cooperation with said extensible support stop member, said member also having a'stop shoulder adjacent to its pivoted end to engage said stop member for limiting the extended projection of said extensible support, a spring retracted push-plate slidably mounted within said housing chamber, said detent member having a cam arm, said push-plate having a push-finger to engage said cam arm forthe purposes described, said pushplate having a push-piece exteriorly projected from said housing chamber for manually actuating the same, and a transverse tie-bar having at its ends angular coupling lugs respectively entered and 'alfiixed within the housing chambers of said respective supporting devices.

ABRAI-IANI LEVINE. 

